30 Kisses 3 Just Like Always
by Rhythmic High
Summary: It was amusing sometimes how this boy, someone most people feared for his unrelenting and at times downright vicious attitude, could seem so soft or angelic; could be looked at for once as just another innocent or lonely kid. (NiouKirihara)


**30 Kisses fic #3 - Just Like Always**  
By Nori  
Pairing: Niou/Kirihara  
Rating: PG  
Theme: #20 - The Road Home  
Disclaimer: If I owned them, they would so be doing this in the series.  
Notes: Written for the 30kisses challenge, requested by Roll♥, one of my favourite Niou's.

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Grumpy was a word that could be used to describe Kirihara Akaya after an away game even with his own matches tending to be the shortest, after having to sit through at least two matches before his own (and occasionally one after if in fact their current doubles combinations lost) by the time everything was done and over; winners and rankings announced and medals given out he was ready to just _go home_.

His teammates tended to ignore him when he got like that, grouching and grumbling from his seat in the back of the bus; no one really wanted to argue with him. It was understandable, he was tired and wanted to relax just as much as any other regular that had played that day.

Occasionally one Niou Masaharu would be right back there with him, picking and teasing at him before eventually a spikey head of silver strands dropped atop inky curls and quiet snores broke from his throat every so often. The days that happened the ride home would be fairly quiet and uneventful, the remaining regulars talking amongst themselves quietly with a loud pop breaking near silence once in a while.

"You shoulda woke me up, senpai." Akaya grumbled crossly, sport bag hiked over his shoulder and glaring at the bus stop sign like it had done something wrong. Nah, couldn't be his fault he missed the bus home.

Niou rolled his eyes, his own bag caught tight in the palm of one hand and the other lazily running through his hair. "S'not my fault you're a heavy sleeper." He yawned and hunched slightly, sore shoulders stretching and relaxing just a bit. His palm dropped atop a grouchy kouhai's head, a tiny smirk curving at the corners of his lips.

"C'mon, I'll walk you home. Ya might be feelin' lazy but you'll get there before the next bus even shows up here." Ok, so maybe it was just a _tiny_ lie, the next bus would probably be around in about twenty minutes but Niou tended to enjoy Kirihara's company no matter what mood the junior ace was in. If he were a girl Niou probably would've said he had something of a crush on Kirihara, but since he was a guy it was impossible; guys don't get crushes, right? Maybe for now he'd stick with the nice, safe phrase of 'interested in', a phrase that could be taken in several different senses and no one could be the wiser (Yagyuu had taught him that one something about having a chat with Yanagi and finding out Sanada was 'interested in' Yukimura for something other than his asskicking skills at tennis).

Kirihara nodded, a sleepy yawn of his own breaking past his lips as he began silently down the street; glad Niou was at least there to help him find the road home his own navigational skills weren't exactly the best (one might say he could get lost in his own house) so he tended to either rely on others for help or the #28 bus that would take him directly from school to the corner by his house.

Niou, being the trickster he was tended to enjoy going the longer route even if it wasted an extra 20 pointless minutes it was that much longer he had to spend with the little demon he'd become friends with.

And same as usual they'd get about halfway there before a smaller hand would slip into his own, fingers loosely curling and intertwining and Kirihara would inch closer, head resting lightly against Niou's shoulder without a word.

A wry grin touched the corners of Niou's lips. It was amusing sometimes how this boy, someone most people feared for his unrelenting and at times downright vicious attitude, could seem so soft or angelic; could be looked at for once as just another innocent or lonely kid who just wanted someone's attention.

Niou would always silently wait until the block before Kirihara's house to drop his own head, nuzzling slightly into inky curls and placing the gentlest of kisses on top of Kirihara's head. And just like clockwork Kirihara would let go of Niou's hand and scamper a few feet forward, a tiny grin on his own lips as he bowed slightly before turning on his heel and bolting the rest of the way home on his own.

Niou didn't mind being ditched so much although he never moved from his spot until he could no longer see the junior. From then it would be back to his public image, a wolf-like grin plastered on his face and eyes glittering with impish intent and off he would go to find his own road home.


End file.
